Former Rep. Joe Crowley: Ocasio-Cortez Will Likely Face a Primary Challenger

Former Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) said Saturday that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) will likely face a primary challenger in 2020.

Former Rep. Crowley said that Ocasio-Cortez will likely face a primary challenger in 2020. “I suspect she probably will,” Crowley said and added that “there hasn’t been much communication between us.”

Ocasio-Cortez gained nationwide notoriety after she defeated Crowley in 2018 in a congressional Democrat primary.

Reports surfaced in January that local and national Democrats want to primary Ocasio-Cortez.

The reports suggested that several Democrats have considered whether they want to primary challenge Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive freshman Democrat and a rising figure in Democrat circles.

“What I have recommended to the New York delegation is that you find her a primary opponent and make her a one-term congressperson,” a Democrat congressman said anonymously to the Hill.

“You’ve got numerous council people and state legislators who’ve been waiting 20 years for that seat. I’m sure they can find numerous people who want that seat in that district,” the lawmaker added.

However, one New York political insider close to Crowley said that there remain many ambitious politicians who do not like that Ocasio-Cortez ousted the former congressman.

“She’s pissing off a lot of people and has probably made a lot of enemies. … A lot of people who are furious with her are Joe’s allies, including some named Crowley,” said the insider, referring to Elizabeth Crowley, a former New York City councilwoman. “She is a woman. She’s been moving more to the left. She would be someone interesting.”

Justice Democrats spokesman Waleed Shahid said in January that Ocasio-Cortez could handily defeat any primary challenger who might decide to run against her.

“Considering she’s more popular and well-known than some of the Democratic presidential contenders, I think whoever challenges her will lose by huge margins,” Shahid said. “It’s a quick way for some D.C. and Wall Street consultants to make some easy money.”

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.